Dental Implants In Hicksville, NY

What are Dental Implants?

At R+R Dental’s location in Hicksville, many patients come in with a variety of challenging cases such as damaged teeth or significant spacing due to lost teeth. Others have suffered from tooth gaps for years but were unsure of the benefits of implanting artificial teeth versus other dental solutions. Between bridges, dentures, and implants, there are many choices to make regarding tooth replacement.

While undergoing treatment to implant artificial teeth sounds daunting, consider the benefits. Artificial implanted teeth look natural and feel like your original teeth. They allow you to smile without embarrassment, chew effectively, and bite down comfortably. No unusual care is needed for your new teeth since they can be brushed and flossed just like natural teeth.

During implantation, tooth structures surgically implant into your jaw. Over time these elements will fuse with your bone. This means they are a permanent solution for replacing teeth, unlike dentures which must adhere with special gels or creams. Bridges require the adjacent teeth to be modified to accommodate the replacements, while implants let healthy teeth remain untouched.

Because they graft into your jaw and gums, permanently implanted teeth cannot slip or move in the way that dentures can. Healthy teeth in the surrounding area are not affected by implanted teeth, allowing you to keep your existing teeth that do not have extensive damage.

Contrary to bridges and dentures, permanently implanted teeth may offer a lifetime solution to tooth loss. With proper care, these new teeth may continue to serve your mouth well for the rest of your life. In contrast, dental bridges last roughly ten years, requiring multiple visits, investments, and adjustments over the years. When choosing an option for replacing missing teeth, meet with Dr. Richer or Dr. Rivera to see what choice is best for you.

Who Can Get Dental Implants?

Many patients suffering from tooth loss are good candidates for this solution. However, people whose gums are not healthy, who have bone diseases or injuries, or who cannot commit to regular dentist visits and maintain oral hygiene are not good candidates for this procedure. Because of the surgical nature of this type of restoration, patients must be in good health and understand the importance of routine dental care.

Your dentist will evaluate your case individually if you are a heavy smoker, have a chronic disease, or have undergone cancer treatments such as radiation. Not everyone is an ideal patient for this type of procedure, making it unattainable for a small segment of patients.

If you have decided that permanent replacement teeth are for you, the next step is to have an evaluation with your dental care provider. Multiple office visits will allow for making impressions of your teeth, modeling your bite, and evaluating the surrounding teeth to ensure that the implanted teeth fit well and blend in as naturally as possible.

The next step is implantation of below-gum posts, which attach to your jaw bone. These posts will later receive the implant teeth, after an initial healing period. The healing period may last up to twelve weeks, which causes the entire course of treatment to stretch over a longer period than other tooth replacement options. Some patients may need a bone graft following extraction of damaged teeth, which further prolongs the treatment and recovery period.

Are Dental Implants Right for Me?

Ultimately, the choice on whether to pursue restorative dental work is up to you and your dentist. Considerations include those of cost, aesthetics, and longevity. Because most insurance companies do not cover this procedure, this may pose a concern to many patients.

While aesthetically pleasing, this procedure does require significant downtime for both the recovery period and the spacing of appointments for evaluation, implantation of structures into the bone, and affixing the final artificial teeth themselves. However, for a lifetime solution to abnormally spaced teeth due to tooth loss, the time spent in the office and in recovery is a relatively small investment.

If you are otherwise healthy and only missing a small number of teeth, this course of treatment is desirable compared to dentures or bridges. Consult with R+R Dental to decide what your options are and how to proceed with restoring the health and appearance of your teeth.